Blast-furnace



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. BOSEWARNE.

BLAST FURNACE.

N0.34Z,466. v Patented May 25,1886.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. W; H. ROSEWARNE.

BLAST FURNACE.

No. 342,466. Patented May 25, 1886.

Fig.3;

V- AI 9 st. VBILt 01".

v 2?-WW %ZZ% N. PETERS. Phmumummv, Wzshingkm. v.1;

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

W. H. R-OSEWARNE.

BLAST PURNAGE.

No. 342,466. Patented May 25', 1886.

Fig. 4

5 Sheets- Sheet; 5.

(No Modem W. H. ROSBWARNB.

BLAST FURNAGB.

No. 342,466. Patented May 25, 1886.

Fig. 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ROSEVVARNE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BLAST-FU RNAC E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,466, dated May 25 1886...

Serial No. 144,871. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Bosn- WARNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Blast-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in blast-furnaces, its object being to secure a more safe, economical, and efficient charging of the same while in blast; and it consists in the provision and arrangement of double feedinghoppers and closing valves or bells, and the combination therewith of a distributing device arranged to properly scatter and distribute the charges uniformly in the furnace, all as hereinafter-set forth.

In the ordinary construction and operation of blast-furnaces, the charges are fed to the furnace through an opening at the top by means of a funnel-mouth or hopper, closed below by a conical valve or bell, opening downward directly into the body of the fur nace. This arrangement necessitates a slackening of the blast when charging, which involves loss of time and danger of chilling the furnace; or, if the blast is maintained, the incandescent gases escape through the hop- .per-opening while charges are being introdueed, causing great annoyance and danger to the workmen employed in charging. Moreover, by this arrangement the charges are dumped toward and around the side walls of the furnace, where they often chill and form .scaffolds, requiring astoppage of the entire operation of the furnace for their removal, at great outlay, and loss of time and labor.

Still another objection to existing construe tions is the liability of the bellsupporting chains to break and allow the valve to drop into the furnace, which also requires a stoppage of the furnace and replacing of the bell at great inconvenience and loss.

My invention seeks to remedy these objections and render the operations of the furnace continuous, without stoppage or loss from any of the above-enumerated causes, thereby facilitating and econoniizing the furnace operations in a material degree.

Mechanism embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a top plan of a blast-furnace to which my improvements are applied, Fig. 2, a central vertical section of the same,showing the bells closed; Fig. 3, a central vertical section of the same, showing the upper bell open and the lower bell closed; Fig. 4:, a central vertical section of the same,showing the lower bell open and the upper one closed; Fig. 5, a

sectional plan of the charge-distributer; Fig.

6, a central vertical section of an ordinary blast-furnace, showing myimprovements applied in connection with the ordinary hopper. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the hell or valve shown in Fig. 6. r

Referring now to the drawings for a more explicit illustration of the parts specified in the following description, A designates the blast-furnace, having an opening, B, at the top, through which the charges are introduced. In this opening I place two funnel-shaped hoppers, O D, arranged one above the other, and provided each with an intermediate shell, 0 d, constituting at the same time a guide for the charge and seat for the closing valves or bells E F.

To the lower shell, (1, is attached a distributing device, G, consisting of a conical ring whose annular apex is set within the lower hopper as an offset in such relation to the in ner wall of the shell d as to divert a portion of the down-passing charge outward, while a portion passes within the central opening of the distributer.

The two bells E F are each of conical form above and terminate below in a shallow partial cone adapted to form a seat against the inner wall of the shell in which it rests. To the lower bell, F, is secured a stem or rod, 0,

extending upward through a central sleeve at the apex of the upper bell, E, so that, as the bells are to be elevated and'depressed alternately, one acts as a guide to the other by means of the stem and sleeve.

Suitable means are to be provided for elevating the bells as required. A convenient apparatus for this purpose is constructed as follows: A two-pronged lever, L, is arranged in suitable bearings above the furnace-opening, having its bifurcated ends connected by chains, with lugs g at opposite sides of the sleeve of the upper bell, while a similar lever, L, mounted and operating between the prongs of the bifurcated lever,is connected bya chain with the free end of the stem 6. Thus each bell has an independent motion and operation by means of its levers.

Steam, water, or air pressure may be einployed as the motive power for operating the levers.

In operating the bells as thus constructed the necessary charges of iron ore, coke, and limestone are first separately placed in the upper hopper, O, the bell 19 of which is then lifted into the position shown in Fig. 3, allowing the entire charge to fall into the lower hopper, D. The upper bell is then closed and another charge placed in the upper hopper, after which the lower bell is raised to the position shown in Fig. 4, allowing the charge to fall into the furnace over the distributingring, by which it is divided, as before indicated, part being diverted outward and part inward.

It will be observed that the opening into the. body of the furnace is always closed, the alternate action of the bolls at no time permitting the gases to escape. It will be obvi ous, therefore, that the charging of thefurnacc requires no slackening of the blast. Moreover, as the bells have their seats upon the upward-flaring walls or shells of the hoppers, it is obvious that in case of breakage of the supporting-chains the bells could not fall into the furnace, and hence all danger from that source is avoided, and, besides, any such break can be repaired without stoppage ot' the blast.

\Vhile in the foregoing description 1. have shown what I conceive to be the best mode of applying my invention, it may be applied as an additioninei'ely to the existing construction, and secure in a useful degree many of the advantages referred to. Thus, in Fig. 6 the lower hopper there shown may be considered as the ordinary filling-hopper, D, and H, the ordinary bell or valve, opening downward. Above these I arrange the additional hopper, 0, and bell E, constructed and operating as hereinbefore described, and attach to the bell H a stem, 0, extending upward through the sleeve of the bell E, and provide the lever connections, as before set forth.

To the bell H, I attach a distri uting ring, such as before described, in such relation that its annular apex offset-s a little outside of the curved outer surface of bell projected down ward, so that the charge passing down from the hopper D upon the outside of the bell H is divided, part diverted inward through the opening of the ring and part outward in the usual manner.

The distributing device may be separately Heretofore provision has been made for charging a hopper with coal, said hopper be ing provided with an inner cone and a distril'mting-ring, whereby, upon lowering the cone and ring, an annular space is formed, through which the coal passes and is directed outwardly on all sides. Provision is also made for raising the inner cone only, for the purpose of directing the coal as it is discharged toward the center of the furnace; also, a double hopper has been used, having an upper and lowcr eone-valve, the former being lowered to charge the feed-hopper and the latter valve being opened to discharge the load into the furnace. I make no claim to such a construction.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent of the United Statesla a blast-furnace, the eombination,with two hoppers, onear ranged above another, of

indepcndcntly-operating valves, having an alf ternate upward lift in charging the furnace, substantially as described.

2. In a blastt'urnace, the combination,with two teed-hoppers, placed one above another, of two independent valves closing said hoppcrs, levers connected with said valves and having alternate action, and a conical distributing-ring located in the lower hopper, substantially as described.

3. In a blastfurnace, the combination of two hoppers arranged one above the other, with closing valves or bells seated within the same and opening by lifting upward, the lower bell having a stem extended upward through a sleeve of the upper bell, thereby guiding each other in their alternate action,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 1C0

4. In a blast-furnace, the combination,with the filling-hopper, of a distributing-annulus, having a dividing apex or ridgelocatedabove the mouth of the hopper and a broad base located below the same whereb the char e 10" 7 y a 3 may be distributed by passing over and being divided by the ridge of the annulus, substantially as described.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing I10 witnesses.

YVILLIAM H. ROSEXVARNE.

Witnesses:

L. M. Hosea, it. M. Hosnn. 

